Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS)

• The 13^th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS) was hosted by India at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
• India hosted this CoP for the first time.
• Theme: Migratory species Connect the Planet and we welcome them
• The mascot designated for the CMS COP-13 is Indian Bustard.

GiBi

• The mascot for the event, Great Indian Bustard has been fondly named as ‘Gibi’.
• The Conservation status of Indian Bustard is Critically Endangered in IUCN red list.
• It has been accorded the highest protection status (listed in Schedule I) under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Animal Culture

• Proposals were presented to conserve Sperm Whales and Chimpanzees based on their culture.
• This is the first time such proposal is being made in the world.

Bio Diversity

• The 13th conference of Migratory Species is the first meet on bio diversity.
• The Conference will consider the need for implementation of guidance tools that will mitigate the impacts of infrastructure on migratory species.
• So far, the infrastructural threats to large mammals was governed by the Central Asian Mammals Initiative.
• The CMS Guidelines currently deals only with the underwater noises.
• It does not include threats related to infrastructural development.
• This CoP is to discuss the effects of insects decline on migratory species for the first time.
• The EUROBATS agreement, proposed by the European Union, is one such agreement that focuses on insect decline.

Visionary Perspective Plan (2020-2030)

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has introduced a draft Visionary Perspective Plan (2020-2030) to conserve ecosystems, habitats, avian diversity and landscapes in the country.
• According to the draft, there are 1,317 bird species in India.
• Out of these 72 are endemic, 100 are threatened, 17 are critically endangered, 63 are vulnerable and 20 are endangered.
• Around 270 species of avifauna fall under “rare” category.

Infrastructure of Migratory Mammals

• The Agenda of the convention included proposals on infrastructure of migratory mammals.
• The migratory mammals to be focused in the summit includes Gobi bear, Persian Leopard and Urial.
• The summit will also provide Biodiversity conservation to Ganges river Dolphins, great Indian Bustard and Asian Elephants.
• The Gobi Bear is a sub species of Brown Bear. It is found in Gobi-desert of Mongolia.
• The Persian Leopards are found in Iran, Afghanistan and central Asia.
• Urials are wild sheep which are found in western and Central Asia, that is, in Kazakhstan, Pakistan and India.
• The year 2020 has been nick named as “Super Year” by global advocacy groups including the United Nations.
• This has been done to highlight 21 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and their targets.
• India marks the “Super Year of Biodiversity” with the Conservation of Migratory Species Conference of Parties 13.
• India and Norway declared the 2020-30 decade as the “Decade of rapid action on Climate Change and Environment”.

“Endangered Migratory Species”

• Asian Elephant, Indian Bustard and Bengal Florican were declared as “Endangered Migratory Species” at the CMS COP 13.
• India declared Indian Elephant as “National Heritage Animal”.
• This provides highest degree of legal protection to the animal under Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Upcoming Summits

• The year 2020 includes UN summit in September 2020 and will end with UN Biodiversity Conference in the end of 2020.
• In Super Year, the SDGs of Climate, Ocean, Gender, life below water and land are to be implemented.
• The Beijing Programme of Action marks 25th anniversary in 2020.
• It was framed in 1995 at the fourth United Nation World Conference on Women.
• The COP 26 of United Nations Climate Conference is to be held in Glasgow in 2020 to address the gaps that were undermined at COP 25.
• The first Global Transport on Sustainable Transport is to be held in May 2020.
• The Strategic Plan for Bio Diversity 2011-20 comes to an end in 2020.
• It was adopted in 2010 at the convention on Biological Diversity.
• The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is to hold World Conservation Congress in Marseille, France in June 2020.
• It is being organized once on 4 years.
• The Second UN Ocean Conference is to be held in 2020.
• The first was held in 2017 in New York.
• The 2020 will also close bio-diversity related agendas.
• It includes the Decade for Deserts which marked the fight against desertification.
• This was marked by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

CMS and India

• It is an environmental treaty under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme.
• It is also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention.
• Signed in 1979 in Bonn, Germany, the Convention entered into force in 1983.
• Its headquarters are in Bonn, Germany.
• India has been a Party to the CMS since 1983.
• India has also signed non-legally binding MOU with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).
• The Indian sub-continent is a part of the major bird flyway network, i.e, the Central Asian Flyway (CAF).
• India is a temporary home to several migratory animals and birds.
• The important among these include Amur Falcons, Bar headed Geese, Black necked cranes, Marine turtles, Dugongs, Humpback Whales, etc.